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The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

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Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#21

Post by DennisP »

saeranv wrote: post #11

Fascinating (and kind of depressing) that the "attention deconcentration" technique she used to become a world-class athlete was originally developed in Russia for people who held very boring jobs. > Molchanova’s technique for concentration was based on a procedure she called attention deconcentration. She said it came from ancient warriors and was used by samurai, and that in Russia it had been adapted and developed…

It sounds a lot like the "open focus" training developed by the Princeton Biofeedback Center: https://openfocus.com/

I've done a fair amount of this. Also I've taken courses in primitive wilderness survival that emphasized a similar use of attention, though without using the same techniques as Princeton.

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#22

Post by kadoban »

giantg2 wrote: post #19
frenchy wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect that main problem is that it would be contrary to the spirit of the sport. It would probably also difficult to actually get working properly.

I don't know if it would really be contrary to the spirit of the sport. The mask would only provide oxygen if passed out. I'm also not talking about big bottles, but just small cartridges of a couple hundred grams. Just enough to provide some oxygen and block water from the airway. It would might not be enough to regain consciousness, but hopefully enough time keep them alive while the spotter/rescue swimmer gets to…

A deadman's switch between two fingers or maybe in the mouth might work.

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#24

Post by db48x »

CoastalCoder wrote: post #12
freediver wrote: post #6

I was a competitive freediver and have lost friends in this sport. Freediving is one of the most dangerous yet most rewarding sports out there. It connects us to something deep with carry inside ourselves as we all evolved from water. Being able to reach 100m (or even 200m in no-limits competition) on a single breath of air, and be able to withstand crushing pressures is an extraordinary feat for a human body and is…

> It connects us to something deep with carry inside ourselves as we all evolved from water. Could you elaborate on this? I'm not seeing the logical connection.

It’s a nonsense statement; it has no logic or meaning.

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#25

Post by Hallucinaut »

hardwaregeek wrote: post #20
giantg2 wrote: post #10

Sounds like tech could be used to increase safety. How about a mask with emergency oxygen that detects when you pass out and administers the oxygen? Maybe location beacons similar to tacking undersea animals?

Yeah or like an arm canister of oxygen. I get that the sport is supposed to be dangerous but we've taken dangerous sports and made them less dangerous before. It's not a huge loss.

Could end up like American Football though where concussion rates climb compared to rugby or league due to protective gear allowing bigger impacts.

That is, people could end up pushing even further knowing they have the safety net but blacking out before they get to use it.

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#26

Post by nefitty »

db48x wrote: post #24
CoastalCoder wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It connects us to something deep with carry inside ourselves as we all evolved from water. Could you elaborate on this? I'm not seeing the logical connection.

It’s a nonsense statement; it has no logic or meaning.

The concepts of genetic memory and epigenetics are of actual research interest. I don't think you needed to respond so rudely when the parent commenter was sharing sincere thoughts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_memory_(psychology)

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#28

Post by nefitty »

DennisP wrote: post #21
saeranv wrote: post #11

Fascinating (and kind of depressing) that the "attention deconcentration" technique she used to become a world-class athlete was originally developed in Russia for people who held very boring jobs. > Molchanova’s technique for concentration was based on a procedure she called attention deconcentration. She said it came from ancient warriors and was used by samurai, and that in Russia it had been adapted and developed…

It sounds a lot like the "open focus" training developed by the Princeton Biofeedback Center: https://openfocus.com/ I've done a fair amount of this. Also I've taken courses in primitive wilderness survival that emphasized a similar use of attention, though without using the same techniques as Princeton.

What sorts of activities do you use this for? For example, most relevant to me, would it be conducive to programming or other technical work?

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#29

Post by bellyfullofbac »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #17

> Typically, free divers have spotters, who wait beneath the surface during a dive, but she was the only experienced diver among the group she was with, so there were no spotters. Especially with a rich client, there was no excuse for not having a safety (scuba) diver in the water. Complacency will get you, every time.

It reads more like she had just finished teaching some amateurs, and she decided to go for a very deep dive for fun, and it went wrong.

Re: The disappearance of the world’s greatest free diver (2015)

#30

Post by s1artibartfast »

giantg2 wrote: post #10

Sounds like tech could be used to increase safety. How about a mask with emergency oxygen that detects when you pass out and administers the oxygen? Maybe location beacons similar to tacking undersea animals?

Tech could certainly be used to increase safety, but there are major barriers to uptake. Blackout recovery vests have existed for decades and have essentially no ultilization.

In freediving, minimalism and freedom are emphasized, so additional gear runs contrary to the central ethos.

Regarding masks, the mouth and often nose are not covered to enhance the mammalian diving reflex. Many divers forgo goggles as well.

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